"Anyone Can Defeat This Challenge": Finding the Confidence to Write

During NaNoWriMo’s “In Your Pocket” Summer Drive, we’ll be posting “ My First NaNo ” stories from you, our amazing participants, and the writing tips you learned from your maiden voyage. Today, participant Maya Ziv shares the cathartic experience of writing her first novel: 

I remember it like it was yesterday. My palms were sweaty; I didn’t know what to expect but I knew that this night I would embark on a journey that would make memories for a lifetime. 

I had been thinking of tackling NaNoWriMo for years and finally committed last year: my birthday is in November, and I decided it would be a great present to allow myself to shirk all other responsibilities for a month and write a book. 

I imagined what it would feel like to finally get to work, preparing as much as I could… by which I mean I’d daydreamed about my storylines and read the introduction to No Plot, No Problem! I learned what the term “pantser” meant just in time to realize it applied to me.

I didn’t exactly have a troubled childhood but it wasn’t perfect either. Writing had been an escape, a way to let my thoughts out when I had no one else to share them with. It gave me confidence to voice myself bluntly, to discuss uncomfortable topics and use words that might make my mother blush. When it came time to choosing the topic of my 50,000 words, I decided to dive into what I hoped would be an incredibly cathartic experience—I wanted to recreate the experiences I’d had at home and school in a diary-style book a la The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

The experience was amazing—my passion for creative writing was rejuvenated. My manuscript is a constant reminder that I have succeeded in completing a monumental task, and a project I can return to when I want to reflect or relive the late nights I spent typing away. It doesn’t matter if you write a poem or a novel; whether it’s 500, 5,000 or 50,000 words, writing your story makes you a writer. The most important thing I was reminded of? That writing about the world, translating what we see and think into words, offers a truly unique perspective.

No NaNoWriMo experience is the same—each person tackles the challenge with a different perspective. Personally, I was surprised at how fast the words came, and am glad to share some things that got me to 50,020 words.

Each week, I read a chapter of No Plot, No Problem! , and gave myself weekly goals to meet before I could read the next chapter. 
When I felt stuck, I jumped to a different part of the book and wrote a memory out-of-order. This often led to more words than expected. 
I didn’t get to write each day, things like work and law school applications got in the way. I made sure to take the time on the weekends to prioritize writing.  
I shared my milestones via social media to include my friends and family in my successes and to remind them why I was turning down dinner dates and movie nights.
I signed up as a fundraiser to motivate my writing, asking for folks to support as if I were doing a write-a-thon. One of my generous supporters planned to contribute an amount based on how many words I completed—hitting 50,000 earned more for the nonprofit that brought NaNoWriMo to me and so many others.
One of my favorite parts of the month was receiving postcards from other people that were writing in November. There are threads in the forums that invite Wrimos to share gifts or postcards to support each other—just a couple dollars gets you awesome motivation from your fellow writers!

As I hit December 1 a novelist, I felt so enriched by my month spent immersed in the land of writing, and walked away with the belief that with a little bit of heart, anyone can defeat this challenge. 

So what are you waiting for, you novelist-in-waiting you?

Maya Ziv has been exploring the world of creative writing since she first learned how to spell. She also dabbles in sports writing, covering Ultimate Frisbee. She participated in her first NaNoWriMo in 2012 and is confident that someday soon she will find the gumption to edit and publish her book.

Photo by Flickr user HowardLake.